Five Connellsville school director candidates secure nominations in primary
Three of the eight candidates seeking an open seat on the Connellsville Area School Board were eliminated in the Tuesday primary, as voters narrowed the number of potential candidates for the four open board seats.
All eight candidates, including incumbents Dr. P.J. Carte, Dr. Paul Means and Gary Wandel, and challengers Scott “Stretch” Casterwiler, James Duncan, Jay Fox, Bryan Kisiel and Toni Sanner, cross-filed for four four-year seats.
Director Tom Dolde opted not to seek a second term.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Dr. Paul Means was the top vote-getter on both tickets. He received 2,692 Democratic votes and 1,227 Republican votes, according to unofficial results from the Fayette County Election Bureau.
Wandel and political newcomer Fox both earned the nod for the Democratic and Republican Parties as well.
Wandel garnered 1,971 Democratic ballots and 903 Republican votes in the primary with Fox receiving 1,866 Democratic votes and 835 GOP votes.
Carte secured the Republican nod by garnering 616 GOP votes, but failed to secure the Democratic nod. He received 1,249 Democratic votes.
He, too, will appear on the ballot in the general election in the fall alongside the other incumbents, according to unofficial election results.
Duncan, a former superintendent for the Connellsville Area School District, secured the Democratic nod, with 1,565 Democratic votes. He fell short by only nine votes in his bid to secure the Republican nod, with 607 votes.
Duncan will also appear on the ballot in the general election in November.
Kisiel, who ran in the 2011 primary election but lost, was also close behind in securing his bid on the Republican ticket.
He garnered 604 Republican votes and 1,400 Democratic tallies, but lost in his bid for nomination.
Meanwhile, Casterwiler and Sanner, two political newcomers, also fell short in their bids for nominations, according to unofficial results.
Casterwiler garnered 768 Democratic votes and 260 Republican ballots with Sanner receiving 953 Democratic votes and 385 GOP votes in the primary race.